Shoe-lace hook.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1903. M. v. KELLY. I SHOE LACE HOOK. APPLICATION FILEDJULY 26 1901; RENEWEP MAY 31, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

7/ lM/fal 2 Hdii asses Patented May 12, 1903.

MAXIMUS VINCENT KELLY, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

SHOE-LACE HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,805, dated May 12,1903. Application filed July 26, 1901. RenewedMay 31, 1902. Serial No.109,742. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAXIMUS VINCENT KELLY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State ofNebraska, have invented a new and useful Shoe-Lace Hook, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates generally to lacinghooks, and particularly tothat class adapted for use upon shoes.

The object of the invention is to provide a lacing-hook which shall bethoroughly efiective in holding a lacing assembled therewith and whichshall be so constructed and arranged as positively to obviate thepresentation of an obstruction to catch upon garments when in use.

A further object is to provide a lacing-hook in which the free endthereof shall by the tension of the lacing be caused to bear against thesurface to which it is secured, thereby operating not only to preventthe hook from catching upon garments, but also to obviate accidentalseparation of the hook and the lacing.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists in-the novelcombination and arrangement of parts of a lacing-hook, as will behereinafter fully described and claimed; I

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding.

View in top plan of one of the lacing-hooks. Fig. 3 is a view in sideelevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section, taken onthe line 4 4, Fig. 2, and showing the hook applied.

Fig. 2 is a Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a shoe having theordinary lacing-flies 2, provided with the usual lower eyelets 3. Asthese parts may be of the usual or any preferred construction, furtherdescription is deemed unnecessary.

The lacing-hook at, which constitutes the gist of the present invention,comprises a head6, carrying a securing shank or stud 7, a neck 8, and acurved arm 9, constituting a continuation of the'neck and terminating ina knob 10, which is preferably oblate-spheroidal in shape, although itmay be round and still perform the functions for which it is designed.The head 6 is by preference flat, with rounded edges to prevent abradingthe lacing, and the shank or stud is integral therewith, as usual. Thearm is curved on an are practically concentric with that of theperiphery of the head, and the knob projects inward toward the head toform a constricted passage communicating with the throat formed betweenthe inner side of the arm and the periphery at the head, the neck beingcurved to form a rounded crotch consti tuting the terminal of thethroat, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The arm is deflected toward theterminal of the shank or stud and to such a degree that when the hook issecured to the shoe-fly the knob'will rest against the fly, and thusprevent the accidental separation therefrom of the lacing should thesame become untied. The contact between the knob and the fly isaccentuated by the tension exerted by thelacing, thus in a positivemanner holding'the knob down to prevent its catching upon a garment.

When the lacing-hooks are secured to the flies, the terminal knobs pointtoward the sole and are thus positioned for most convenient engagementby the lacing. When the .the hooks are secured, thereby causing theknobs to sink into the" materiaL'and-thus positively prevent entrance ofthe material of the garment; but the neck portion will be free fromengagement with the flies or the like, thereby permitting free movementof the lacing, thus to obviate binding on the ankles, which would resultif the lacing were positively held against sliding movement withrelation to the hooks.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is"

1. A garment-hook comprising a securingshank having a head, a neckprojecting outward from the head and merging into an arm curvedconcentrically with and disposed throughout its length below the planeof the head and forming in conjunction therewith a lace-receivingthroat, the free end of the arm being disposed to constrict entrance tothe throat.

2. A garment-hook comprising a securingshank having a head, a neckprojecting outward from the head and merging into an arm curvedconcentrically with and disposed throughout its length below the planeof the head and forming in conjunction therewith a lace-receivingthroat, and a knob carried by the free end of the arm and operating toconstrict entrance to the throat.

3. The combination with the lacing-flies of a shoe, of lacing-hookscomprising each a securing-shank having a head, a neck projectingoutward from the head and merging into an arm curved concentrically withand disposed throughout its length below the plane of the head andforming in conjunction there with a lace-receiving throat, and a knobcarried by the free end of the arm and disposed toward the sole of theshoe and bearing upon the fly.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aifixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

MAXIMUS VINCENT KELLY.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. BATTIN, Tnos. F. LEE.

